Synthetic Destiny
by Dakota James
Summary: What will have to be sacrificed as the sisters and those close to them face assorted trials and tribulation.
1. Death and Duty

Disclaimer: All the characters on Charmed do not belong to me (in fact none of them do). I'm just borrowing them.  
  
Summary: this fic takes place during the episode Charmed and Dangerous. The story begins just after Leo is shot by the darklighter.  
  
Author's note: OK this is my first Charmed fic so tell me how I did.  
  
  
  
Death and Duty  
  
  
  
When Piper pulled out the arrow, Leo felt as though half his soul was torn out with it. Groaning, he sunk back on the couch clutching his wounded chest. They didn't have much time. His energy was leaving him fast.  
  
Piper began expertly tucking a blanket around him. Deep concern shone in her eyes just behind a sparkling curtain of tears. She could act so strong and yet so motherly at the same time, though she'd never admit it.  
  
Reaching out a hand, Leo cupped her face. "Everything's going to be okay," he whispered but the horse words lacked conviction.  
  
Piper smiled faintly. Turning into Leo's hand, she kissed his warm palm lightly, and told him to rest.  
  
Leo did feel tired. He closed his eyes and murmured, "I love you" to Piper. Slipping into an unsettling half sleep, he was groggily aware of people moving in and out of the room, and of an itching pain that burned in his chest.  
  
He could still hear the murmuring voices of his charges. They sounded like static; only a backdrop to his pain and exhaustion. Suddenly, a clear voice stabbed into his mind.  
  
Pain. Fear. Cold. Sadness. Leo focused on the voice and tried to hear more. The pain in his chest deepened and stung as he attempted to extend his powers, but Leo still strained to listen.  
  
Why did Billy have to die? I should have died.  
  
"Jackie," Leo whispered. He knew the voice.  
  
He shouldn't have tried to protect me. Then maybe he would be alive.  
  
Leo's breathing became more labored and sweat beads broke out on his forehead. He grit his teeth trying to focus; to forget the pain. The dots of moisture conformed into drops and rolled down his face. Another voice mixed with Jackie's. It was Piper's.  
  
"You need to sleep Leo," she had a worried warning tone in her voice. With a washcloth, she dabbed at his forehead, and then lightly caressed his face with the back of her hand. "Sleep," she commanded gently.  
  
Leo wanted to tell her about Jackie, but felt too weak. The voices started to fade away and an eerie uncomfortable silence ensued. Then the room faded as he fell into a disturbed sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
A beach in Southern California  
  
Same time  
  
A lone figure sat by the ocean. Her head was bent down and shoulders shaking in an all too familiar rhythm of grief.  
  
She stilled for a moment and looked up at the clear cobalt sky. Night had set in several hours ago, and the only sources of outdoor lighting were a bright full moon and golden spray of stars. The taunt full sail of a passing boat seemed to catch the sparkling dots as it glided easily across the black water.  
  
Jackie looked on solemnly as the boat went by. Billy had loved to go sailing. They'd gone out on his boat nearly every weekend. Biting her lip, Jackie halfheartedly forced back tears, but the sparkling wet beads continued to fall out of her eyes in strands.  
  
Maybe if she had locked their apartment door after coming home from work that day, none of this would have happened at all. The man wouldn't have been able to come in. He wouldn't have raped her, and then Billy wouldn't have gotten shot. Jackie hugged her knees, and rocked back and forth, her face buried in the fabric of her dress. Billy had walked in while she was being raped. The man hadn't thought to lock the door either. Billy grabbed a knife from the kitchen, but the man had a gun, and he shot Billy. He shot her Billy.  
  
She had felt him die. Jackie was an empath. She could sense what other's felt, and sometimes inadvertently projected her feelings to other people. She and Billy had shared a deep connection. When he died, the severing of their bond seemed to literally tear her apart.  
  
Jackie looked back up and breathed in the moonlight. "Lord and Lady tell me what to do," she pleaded. Jackie felt so empty like there was a hole inside her. A big gaping tatter edged hole. She tried to fill it in with tears but not all the moisture in the world could fill that bottomless well. The emptiness grew so large that it swallowed the moon and made the night black, directionless.  
  
"Lord and Lady, help me!" she wailed again, but was greeted only with a blanket of chilly water. Waves washed over her legs and dress, pooling around her still form. The tide was rising.  
  
Soft gritty sand squished between her toes, and the pink wrinkly digits scrunched at the granules. Suddenly, pain shot through her as her wiggling toes scraped against a tiny sharp clamshell. Jackie didn't flinch. She watched a trickle of dark blood creep across the sand before foaming waves covered it over. Erased it.  
  
Jackie wiped her nose, rubbed at her raw eyes, and stood up, shivering. Her silhouetted form was short and rail thin. Gusting wind blew at her dress, and dark brown hair cut in a chin length bob swished around her head. A beak like nose protruded from her slightly pale face; crying ad given her cheeks a little more color than usual, and deep chocolate eyes reflected the rippling waves of the ocean.  
  
Without thinking, her legs carried her forward into the water. As she started to swim, the thin fabric of her dress plastered itself to her legs, creating a slight drag. Despite that, she waded out far to tall rocking waves that bobbed her up and down. The dark coldness began to numb her over,and wash away emotions. The terrible feelings were plucked from her form, and went somewhere else.  
  
* * *  
  
Leo woke up cold. Very cold, and shivering. Every one of his aching muscles twitched, trying to warm him up. He gripped the blanket with white knuckles as sharp throbbing pains shot through him. Woven in with the pain, other emotions swam and attacked his mind with bitter force. Not enough, however, to blanket over his hurt which continued to rage on.  
  
These feelings were not his, and the foreign invaders felt uncomfortable in Leo. They were a separate form; separate from him. So familiar, so close he could reach out for it. And he did. His hand connected with air. Nothing but grief and anger gnawed at him. No Jackie. No.she was far away. If only he could orb, he could find the sadness.  
  
But he didn't orb; he slept, and the pain weighed down on his chest even more. Time was running out.  
  
* * *  
  
After half an hour of treading water, Jackie's arms ached and the tired limbs began to droop at her sides. Reinforced by her lessened will to stay afloat, the large waves pushed her closer and closer to the shore. She was nearing their breaking point. Her head briefly dipped below the murky surface, but she shot up quickly, sputtering strong tasting salt water.  
  
An oncoming wave caught Jackie's attention. She watched the wall of water grow and approach her. Spending so much time at the beach, she knew the timing of the waves and this one was going to crest right on top of her. Instinctively, she tried to swim over it; to beat it. Her arms and legs moved slowly. Stuck in time.  
  
The wave crashed over her, slamming her body against the rough sandy bottom. A powerful rush filled Jackie's ears. The pressure strengthened and all the colors that played behind her closed eyes had been turned to black. She struggled minimally, knowing she only needed to wait it out. The pressure eased as the wave finished its run, but the undertow wasn't quite through with her yet. It grabbed a hold of her and roughly forced her down further.  
  
Jackie had much experience in these types of situations. The best thing to do was just let it take her until its power dropped off and she could surface. But she didn't want it to take her; she didn't want him to take her. She wanted to fight back, to win, and to escape.  
  
With renewed rage driven energy, Jackie flayed her limbs in frantic and undisciplined moves. Anger made her blood rush; she was barely aware of what she was doing. The force of the water seemed to tie her up in knots. She wasn't getting anywhere, but she fought on. She fought for her life, for Billy, and for freedom.  
  
Lungs burned. Water pounded. There was one last person she could turn to for help.  
  
"LEO!"  
  
* * *  
  
The desperate call shot down Leo's spine and raced back up again. Before he could fully register reality, he tried to orb. The tingling sensation of the blue lights filled his body but was soon smothered by pain and weakness. Leo groaned as spots blotched his vision, and his head became light. Temples pounding, he tried to center himself, but the spots now smeared across the whole room. Dizziness didn't help.  
  
He couldn't hear her anymore, and he couldn't feel her either.  
  
* * *  
  
"LEO!" she yelled again from underwater. The muddled scream came out as a cloud of bubbles. The tiny air pockets swirled and danced in the dark water before ascending to the surface. Jackie wished she could grab a hold of one and rise effortlessly with it. She'd be safe, and he couldn't hurt her anymore.  
  
In response to her cries for help, the undertow only seemed to tighten its grip and drag her down further; faster. Lack of oxygen made her lungs burn. She felt like something was scorching her from the inside out. Never before had she thought so much pain could be bottled up in her tiny form. Another cry tore out her lips. This one was more primal; it held no noticeable form or sounds; just attempting to release the pain.  
  
Salt water rushed into her now open mouth making her gag. Reflexes caused Jackie to breath in deeply; only it wasn't refreshing oxygen that bathed her lungs. She gasped and thrashed, searching for air, but water kept rushing in, penetrating her.  
  
Jackie jerked in a last few spasms before her body stilled, and quieted. The waves continued to push her around but calmed as she reached deeper waters. Soft currents fluttered the skirt of her dress and played with her limp hair. Jackie's body remained trapped in watery suspension like a cold, haunting snow globe figurine.  
  
* * *  
  
Leo felt warmth on his chest, and then it spread over his body. Slowly, he peeled back his eyelids and saw Paige and Phoebe standing over him, smiles on their faces. He smiled back weakly. They'd survived. All of them. But a hazy dream-like memory of death fogged up his mind. The fuzzy dark image was barely enough to grasp. Someone was drowning. No, Someone had drowned. In his disorientation, Leo couldn't really complete the picture, and something told him it would be better that way. 


	2. Memories

A/N: Originally I was just going to stop after the first chapter of this story, but I kept thinking of new things I could add so here it is.It's still not finished; this story will probably be fairly long .anyway I'm also thinking about changing the title so watch out for that.this is an AU story so some of the things in here don't really reflect the show.I think that's it. Enjoy (I hope), and reviews would be greatly appreciated.btw does anyone know if whitelighter is one word or two (same goes for darklighter). I've always used it as one word but please correct me if I'm wrong.  
  
2ndA/N: this takes place a few months after chapter one (somewhere around early season five) so Piper is already pregnant, but Cole isn't going to be evil. He doesn't appear in this chapter but he will in later ones.  
  
Chapter two: Memories  
  
The forgotten memories first crept into his dreams. Jarring nightmares of drowning, bolted Leo awake on more than one occasion, and, upon gaining his senses, he would find his hands clutching at his chest where the darklighter had shot him a few months earlier. Piper, always a light sleeper, would calm him with a soothing touch and ask what was the matter. Leo would quickly say nothing was wrong and shoo his wife back to sleep. The truth was he didn't know what was going on, that is until he turned on the news one afternoon.  
  
Leo slowly sank back on the couch as his mind registered the picture in front of him. A lumpy white sheet molded in the form of a body, was being wheeled into a coroners van. The ocean's familiar roar sounded in the background, and a few seagulls screamed overhead.  
  
A young blonde reporter, dressed to the tee in the middle of the beach appeared on screen, and began describing the scene behind her.  
  
"This morning, two fishermen stumbled upon the body of a young woman tangled in their nets. Her identity is yet unknown, but police-"  
  
Leo clicked off the TV and stared vacantly at the screen. Somehow he knew who was under that sheet.  
  
"Jackie," he whispered.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
Leo turned around quickly to find Piper standing in the next room. "Umm.nothing. I was just watching the news. How long have you been standing there?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, I just walked in." she replied with an airy dismissive gesture that suggested the question hadn't held much significance. In truth she had been standing there for a few minutes, watching him with a concerned expression. Leo had become more and more withdrawn lately, and she was starting to worry.  
  
"So, how was your appointment with Eva?" he asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Eva was bogged down by a slight emergency so I rescheduled for this afternoon." Piper walked over and sat next to Leo on the couch. Now was as good a time as any to bring up her concerns she sighed. "Listen Leo, you've seemed really distracted lately, and whatever is going on you can talk to me about it." Piper ran her fingers lightly through his short hair as she spoke. Her slender digits paused to touch the tip of his soft ear lobe.  
  
Instead of answering her, Leo leaned in closer, inviting more of her touch, and softly pressed his lips to hers. Piper returned the gesture in kind. The passion was slowly smoldering and building between the two of them when the Elders' familiar call sprang into Leo's head. Groaning, he pulled back from his wife.  
  
"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad of a kiss," Piper teased. However, she knew the real reason for his irritation, and gave her consent before he asked. "Go. I'll still be here when you get back, and we're not finished talking yet lover boy," she warned.  
  
"Thanks," Leo stole one last kiss before disappearing into a cloud of sparkling blue lights.  
  
Sighing, Piper slumped back on the couch. Idly, she rubbed a hand over her swollen stomach. "Well, baby girl, it looks like it's just you and me.again." Other than Piper, the manor was completely empty. Phoebe was at work, and Paige was at a local herb shop. Usually Piper would have accompanied her youngest sister, but the smell of the herb shops made her nauseous.  
  
Piper's thoughts wandered back to her husband. She and Leo never seemed to make any headway in their conversations anymore. Something almost always came up, and one of them would have to leave. Gently, Piper touched her warm swollen lips and smiled. The short moments of romance made things better for a time, but it kept them from facing any real problems. When Leo got back, she decided, they were going to sit down and have a real talk.  
  
Suddenly curious about what she had interrupted when she first walked in, Piper picked up the remote control, and clicked on the TV. She caught the tail end of the news story about a drowned young woman. She watched the screen with interest. Something about this story had caught Leo's attention. She'd seen it in his face when she'd walked in unnoticed. Piper wanted to know what it was.  
  
* * *  
  
Every particle of the Elder's domain hummed with warm magical energy. That was the only concrete image Leo could find for the place, and once he left, that single fragmented memory would be completely eradicated leaving him grasping at thin straws for a description of the Elder's location. Words held a mysteriously strong power that could be used against them, and so the Elders lived beyond their reach. It was nearly impossible to remember something that doesn't have a name.  
  
Leo stood before the council of fifteen robed figures that observed him without visible expression.  
  
Oden spoke first. The young looking Elder had short jet-black hair, and pale blue eyes that seemed to stare through their mark. His voice was deep and commanding, and he held much leadership in the group despite his age. He had only been an Elder for thirty years, and was often more accepting of modern Wiccan practices than the others; he had not objected to Leo's marriage to Piper. For this, Leo considered him an alley, but the whitelighter often didn't know what to make of this Elder's more peculiar behaviors. Oden could be an eccentric at best, and nearly fanatic at worst.  
  
"You had a charge named Jackie Gilman who was to be a whitelighter upon her death, yes?" Oden asked.  
  
Leo felt his mouth go dry and nodded. He remembered who Jackie was now.  
  
"We have discussed her case at length," he continued, "and there appears to be some ambiguity between us as to whether her death was accidental or the result of suicide. As you know, if she committed suicide then Jackie can never become a whitelighter."  
  
Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Oden silenced him with a regal wave of his hand.  
  
"You will have your chance to speak," Oden informed him. "We will hold a council in three days at which time you will be allowed to make a statement and present anything else that may sway us one way or the other," the Elder paused, and seemed to choose his next words with care. "We will also take into heavy consideration your role as a whitelighter."  
  
Leo's brow crinkled with confusion. "Why is that?" he asked on impulse.  
  
"We feel," Oden explained, "that, if you were going your job correctly then it is less likely Jackie's death was suicide."  
  
The wrinkles on Leo's forehead smoothed over and his face paled as realization hit. "So, this council is less about Jackie and more about evaluating me?" he asked with near disbelief.  
  
Oden nodded, "I suppose that's one way to look at it. Is this a satisfactory arrangement?"  
  
The booming question rang in Leo's ears, and he could feel heavy scrutiny from the fifteen members present. Every eye fixed intensely on him eating and burning away at his comfort. There was something else in the air too; something besides the tension. Magic. A great magical weight had attached itself to Leo's mind. Glamour spell. He was being controlled by a glamour spell. Every coherent thought in his mind turned molasses slow and hazy except for an instinctive compulsion to obey. Free will oozed out of his consciousness in between the finders of the spells knuckled grip. Usually, glamour spells weren't much more than magician's toys, but this felt intoxicatingly overpowering, and bittersweet with fear.  
  
Leo opened his mouth to concede to the Elder's request when a voice shattered through the haze. "Oden!" the eldest member suddenly snapped, "break the spell at once!"  
  
Oden paused a moment then waved his hand, and the weight of the spell lifted off of Leo. The whitelighter took in a large gulp of air as though it were his first real breath in minutes, not one controlled by the spell.  
  
Leo looked around at each face frantically like a cornered jackrabbit. "Why did you use a spell on me?" he threw out the question with an accusing glare at Oden. "What's going on here? What is it that I don't know?"  
  
Immediately a few of the Elders shifted almost invisibly, but Oden didn't flinch. "There is nothing you need to know at this time," Oden responded, impenetrably stoic.  
  
The rest of the Elders all remained silent. Looking around to every unreadable face, Leo knew he wasn't going to get an explanation.  
  
Leo was still plenty suspicious, but, none the less, he couldn't find an argument not to accept the proposal. If for no other reason, he wanted to help Jackie, to make up for the time he hadn't been there. "The arrangement is satisfactory," he grit out, making his reluctance clear. So what if he sounded rebellious at least he didn't sound as afraid and guilt ridden as he truly felt.  
  
Leo orbed away with a dark shadow of dread looming over his mind. If Jackie committed suicide she would never become a whitelighter, and Leo would have failed one of his charges.  
  
TBC.I'm really busy with school right now so updates may be few and far between for a while, but I really will try and finish this. 


	3. Just a Little Whitelighter Lie

A/N: this chapter starts immediately after the events in chapter two. On another note, No silent readers.please read and review, I want to know how I'm doing, good or bad.  
  
A/N 2: words with around them indicate a premonition.  
  
Chapter three: Just A Little Whitelighter Lie  
  
Leo landed back in his and Piper's room, and was glad to find it unoccupied. Flopping down on the bed, he stared blankly at the opposite wall. Leo could still feel the buzzing sensation in his mind where the glamour spell had recently dislodged itself. The spell had been built to last and would have amplified over time. Oden had wanted long term control over him. Why? Possibly to control his future statement at the council Leo figured. He sighed; it didn't really matter now.  
  
Leo's mind wandered back to Jackie, and he found himself also thinking of his own icy suffocating nightmares. He couldn't imagine the fear and pain she went through. If only he could have been there, she wouldn't be dead in the first place.  
  
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw bright blue orbing lights trickle into the room from an unseen dimension. The lights disappeared and a young boy stood beside the bed. Leo quickly stood, and looked at the child with a quizzical gaze.  
  
The boy, maybe twelve years old, was dressed in a long white robe that pooled around his feet. Well, the boy at least looked twelve, but Leo figured he was much older. He smiled sweetly at the whitelighter. "You must be Leo Wyatt." He extended his hand as a greeting. The hand was clean and white, nails trimmed.  
  
Leo reached out slowly, and accepted the gesture. The boy's palm was warm and fleshy, solid and healthy feeling. Leo smiled. "And who are you?" he asked, releasing his grip.  
  
"I am Aaron," he introduced, "I am here to observe you for the next three days, and then make a report to the Elders."  
  
Leo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "This report is for the council that will be held, I suppose."  
  
The boy nodded. "Don't worry about me getting in the way," Aaron reassured, "You probably won't even be able to see me most of the time." His tone of voice was purely business which felt odd wrapped around his boyish pre-pubescent voice. The "child" barely stood at Leo's shoulders, and his form was slightly out of proportion, the lanky somewhat gawky body of a growing boy. However, he must have remained frozen in that stage for quite some time; he managed to move with practiced grace. His face was porcelain clear, and still held the pudginess of baby fat. Leo wondered if his hand would sink into the doughy skin if he touched it. Leo was actually more drawn to the boy's eyes than his skin. Two large chocolate cesspools glittered behind a veil of thick curly lashes. They spoke of every exuberance that belonged to youth.  
  
Aaron cocked his head as though he were listening to something. "Well, I must be going," he smiled once more to Leo then orbed away.  
  
Leo scratched the back of his head trying to come to terms with everything that had happened in the last hour or so. Mentally, he ticked off all that had occurred. Item one: There was a possibility that Jackie may never become a whitelighter. Item two: The Elders might blame him for her death. Item three: Oden had put a spell on him for some unknown reason. And finally.Item four: One of the Elders' messenger boys was going to be trailing him around for the next three days.  
  
All in all, everything was looking pretty crappy right now. Leo moved back and forth across the room trying to think of a solution. As much as he hated to admit it, for the last year or so all of his other charges had fallen under the shadow of the Charmed Ones. Being a husband and future father was time consuming as well. He used to make weekly visits, at least, to all of his charges. Leo had known everything about them and their families, but now, as time passed, some of them seem like strangers.  
  
Guilt washed over him, but Leo fought hard to keep it at bay. He needed to think clearly, decisively. If he could somehow prove himself as an example whitelighter, he just might be able to save Jackie. He had to start putting his charges first.  
  
* * *  
  
Piper had just gotten out of the shower. Wrapped in a towel, which exaggerated the pregnant curves of her body, she padded into the bedroom to change. Upon entering, she saw Leo pacing feverishly. He didn't even look up or seem to notice she was there.  
  
This behavior was much different than earlier. Leo didn't seem deflated or beaten down any longer; he was animated, lively and.dangerous? No, Piper shook her head, that wasn't it. 'On a mission' was more like it. Well, whatever it was, Leo was determined about something.  
  
Piper cleared her throat loudly, and Leo snapped his head up to look at her. "Glad I have your attention. You know most men would notice if their wife walked into a room wearing only a towel."  
  
Leo smiled bashfully and looked down at the floor as his way of apology.  
  
Tucking the towel more securely around her, Piper walked towards her husband. She took hold of his hand and kneaded the fingers between her own. "What's going on?" she asked suddenly breaking the silence, "What are you hiding from me?"  
  
"Oh, it's just whitelighter stuff," he answered vaguely without meeting her hard earnest stare.  
  
"What kind of stuff?" Piper asked. Retracting her hand, she crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
Leo paused and chewed the words around in his mind. He really didn't want to get her involved. This was his problem, and he wanted to figure it out on his own. "It's nothing really," he shrugged.  
  
"You won't tell me?" Piper's voice was tight, and she looked as though she were fighting tears.  
  
Leo sighed with impatience and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen honey-"  
  
"Don't 'honey' me!" Piper interrupted loudly and knocked his hand away. A few tears slipped out, but she didn't seem to notice. Piper was too focused on expelling her frustrations.  
  
Leo tried to get another word in, but she cut him off fiercely. "I want to know what's going on!" Piper's voice rose even more in volume giving her an edge which she gladly took to, and exorcized the rest of her anger at a near scream. "I want to know why you've been sullen lately. I want to know why you've been having nightmares," she roared, "and I want to know why you won't let me help you." That last statement came out softer, coated thick with tears, and a hint of desperation.  
  
Piper stared at him red eyed and breathing heavily, waiting for an answer.  
  
"It's nothing you need to get involved in, Piper," he spoke quietly, not wanting to arouse anymore of her anger.  
  
Piper's scream fest seemed to have sated her for the time being; she didn't look ready to attack him anymore. Yelling arguments weren't her forte as it was. Giving the cold shoulder was usually her tactic of choice. "I'm your wife," she stated firmly and evenly, "doesn't that mean anything to you?"  
  
"It means the world to me," Leo smiled then glanced at his watch. "Shouldn't you be heading out to see Eva?" Changing the subject. That was his tactic of choice.  
  
"I was just getting ready to leave," Piper's voice was cold, "you coming along?" she asked without interest.  
  
"No, I have some whitelighter things to do. I'll see you later," Leo kissed her cheek and orbed out leaving Piper standing there alone in her towel.  
  
* * *  
  
After getting dressed into something comfortable, meaning something with an elastic waist that would conform to her swelling midsection, Piper headed downstairs. She found Phoebe waiting for her on the bottom step.  
  
"What's going of between you and Leo?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"You heard that, huh?" Piper looked a little sheepish.  
  
"I'm surprised the whole neighborhood didn't hear you," Phoebe exclaimed. She then wrapped a loving arm around her older sister. "What's going on?" she ask again with serious concern.  
  
"I don't know," Piper shook her head and leaned into Phoebe, "Leo won't tell me. He's been acting so strange, but he won't tell me what's wrong."  
  
Phoebe sighed and gave Piper a reassuring squeeze. "Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
"Actually, yeah. I think there might be." Piper paused to wipe her eyes, clearing away the threatening tears. "This morning, Leo was watching the news and then he started to act really weird."  
  
"So you think something in the news story is what's causing him to act this way?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Piper shrugged, "well, it's the only thing I have to go on. The news story was about a woman who drowned in the ocean. And what's really weird is that Leo's been having nightmares and I think they've been about drowning."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Phoebe asked earnestly. There's nothing she wouldn't do for her sisters.  
  
"Go talk to Daryl," Piper instructed after some careful thought. She was still wiping at her face and trying to pull herself together. "See if they've come up with any more information on the woman. Maybe we'll come across something helpful."  
  
"Will do, sis," Phoebe nodded.  
  
* * *  
  
After twenty minutes of driving, Phoebe finally found a parking spot nearly five blocks removed from the police station. Grumbling, she got out of the car, and walked around to the meter. She grabbed several quarters from the bottom of her purse to pay for the privilege of occupying this crummy spot. As soon as her fingers touched the parking meter, Phoebe was grabbed by a premonition. A strong one. She felt as though her conscious mind had imploded upon itself and images beyond her control had completely taken over. She didn't even hear to quarters drop from her hand.  
  
Phoebe saw herself. She was standing by the parking meter, but it was the future. A few hours into the future when dusk was setting in. A man dressed all in black stood a few feet away. He looked like a darklighter, and he was laughing. A strange branded symbol marred his upper left arm.  
  
Phoebe landed back in the present as quickly as she'd left. The jarring experience left her slightly dizzy, and she tightly gripped the parking meter for balance. When her bearings finally caught up with her, she hurriedly made her way down the street to the police station.  
  
Her shoes made a brisk clicking sound as they hit the concrete, and Phoebe quickly glanced into each dark ally she passed. Even though the foreseen encounter would not occur for several hours, she was already on heart-racing full alert. Digging around in her purse, Phoebe retrieved her cell phone. She dialed the manor.  
  
Paige picked up on the other end, and Phoebe quickly explained the premonition, and the odd symbol she'd seen.  
  
"Could you see if there's a symbol like that in the Book of Shadows?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Sure thing," Paige responded dutifully and with a touch of enthusiasm, "I needed some excitement around here," she sighed. "So, have you found out anything about the woman who drowned?"  
  
"No, I'm just going to see Morris now," Phoebe answered.  
  
"Okay sweetie, take care of yourself."  
  
* * *  
  
Paige hung up the phone, and uncurled herself from the couch where she had been flipping through a magazine. Then, she headed upstairs to read the Book of Shadows.  
  
The refrigerator door slammed shut in the kitchen, and Leo emerged with a sandwich. He had orbed home just in time to catch Paige's half of the conversation.  
  
TBC. 


	4. A Helping Hand

Chapter Four: A Helping Hand  
  
  
  
Phoebe stepped out of the police station and into the cool air of twilight. A pale orange glow lit the horizon, and the rest of the sky was charcoal gray. Street light were beginning to flicker on, casting their bright shine on occasionally passing cars. The police station parking lot was very well lit, and she felt secure walking past the stationary cars to her own vehicle, still several blocks away.  
  
But, Phoebe started to feel anxious as she left that brightly glowing sanctuary behind and headed down the sidewalk. Pulse pounding, She watched every movement and listened to every sound. A car door slammed in the distance catching her attention momentarily. Phoebe's heart jumped to her throat, but there was no other noise, nothing, except her raging imagination. Her muscles twitched beneath her skin, itching in anticipation for some action.  
  
Phoebe saw the car ahead of her by half a block. Quickly, she closed the gap, and prepared herself for the demon.  
  
A soft rustle of clothing behind her was all the warning she got. He must have emerged from a nearby ally or shimmered in.  
  
Phoebe spun around and adopted a fighting stance.  
  
"Who are you?" she demanded. Normally, Phoebe was impulsive when it came to demon fighting. She preferred to kick ass first and ask questions second if at all. But this wasn't quite normal, Phoebe had a nagging sense that her premonition had been more than just a warning; it had been too strong, and she wanted to know what was going on.  
  
The demon laughed but didn't answer. Phoebe appraised him briefly and thought, yup, definitely a darklighter, but he had no cross bow, that was odd. Not to mention that darklighters killed whitelighters not witches.  
  
The man took one step forward and his face fell in the light of a street lamp. A two day beard raggedly carpeted the otherwise well sculpted terrain of his face, and he had a ruddy complexion that spoke of too much time in the sun. Heavily dilated eyes watched Phoebe with a liquid unfixed stare and an insane sparkle.  
  
"I will enjoy killing you witch," he laughed again.  
  
Phoebe gave him a disgusted grunt before transforming into full combat mode. She was through playing around. With a martial arts yell, she aimed a high, fast, kick to his head.  
  
Blocking her leg with his muscular forearm, the darklighter immediately retaliated with a furious hook punch. Phoebe ducked under the fast flying fist, and, using all of her weight, slammed her own fist into the demon's gut, which sent him stumbling backwards.  
  
Not, missing a beat, Phoebe whipped her leg around and connected with the side of his head. The force a power of her blow knocked him over, and the demon landed face down on the concrete.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" she asked the prone figure.  
  
No answer.  
  
Determined to get something out of him, Phoebe walked over and prepared to smash her foot into his back. "I said-  
  
Suddenly, he turned over, and caught her foot as it descended upon him. Holding her ankle in an iron grip, he easily tossed her backwards. Phoebe flew effortlessly through the air and almost hit the ground with crushing force, but, a few inches from the concrete, she caught herself with her own levitating powers. Phoebe hovered there for a split second before righting herself.  
  
The mysterious darklighter was already on his feet. A crackling blue orb levitated in his hand. Phoebe had never seen a darklighter do that before. It was time to call in reinforcements.  
  
"Leo!" she yelled.  
  
Either the whitelighter was busy or he hadn't heard her because nothing happened.  
  
The darklighter sniffed in disgust at her futile attempt. "I was expecting more of a challenge," he sneered and sent the blue ball flying in her direction.  
  
Phoebe hastily levitated out of the way. The energy ball zipped by, only inches away from its mark.  
  
"Damn it, Leo, where are you?" she hollered again.  
  
Still, Leo did not arrive.  
  
Phoebe saw another blue orb forming in the darklighter's palm, and she decided to change tactics. Using her levitation, she rocketed to the roof of a nearby building. As soon as her feet hit solid ground, she started running. If she couldn't fight him, maybe she could lose him.  
  
Easier said than done. The demon shimmered in behind her, quicker than Phoebe had thought.  
  
"Good bye witch," he smiled evilly, and launched the orb in her direction.  
  
Phoebe felt a powerfully raw energy force thunder through her, and tear her nerves to shreds. She couldn't sense anything; not even pain. The numbness radiated from a spot on her lower back where something had struck her hard.  
  
The gritty metallic taste of concrete mixed with blood was the next thing she registered. Phoebe wasn't on the roof anymore; she was back on ground level with her face plastered against the sidewalk.  
  
"Leo," she pleaded desperately through swollen and bleeding lips.  
  
A shower of blue lights suddenly appeared next to her, and Phoebe looked up to see her brother-in-law.  
  
"It's about damn time," she scolded him in a weak voice.  
  
Swearing softly, Leo looked her over; it was clear that Phoebe was barely hanging onto consciousness.  
  
Second later the darklighter shimmered in; a new energy ball crackled lively in his hand. Upon seeing Leo, his eyes widened in rage.  
  
Leo quickly took firm hold of Phoebe and orbed out.  
  
* * *  
  
Piper walked through the front door to find her little sister lying unconscious on the couch, and Leo tending over her with his healing powers. Glowing energy streamed from his fingertips and was absorbed by Phoebe's battered body.  
  
"Oh, my God," Piper breathed and rushed over. "What happened?" she asked Leo.  
  
"She was attacked," Leo answered briefly and to the point.  
  
"I can see that!" Piper exclaimed, "What attacked her?"  
  
Leo shrugged and continued to work his healing magic. He still hadn't met eyes with Piper since she'd walked in. "It looked like a darklighter, but with powers I've never seen a darklighter have," Leo paused then added, "he attacked her while she was on that little mission you sent her out on."  
  
"Mission?" Piper asked.  
  
Leo gave her a sideways glare. "You sent her to check up on that drowned woman in the news. I overheard Paige talking to her on the phone."  
  
"So?" Piper's tone was sour, "does that bother you?"  
  
"I told you not to get involved," Leo grit out.  
  
Crossing her arms over her chest, Piper looked down at Phoebe. "Is she going to make it?" she asked softly.  
  
Leo nodded. "Yeah, she'll be fine, but it was a close one."  
  
"Whoa, what happened?"  
  
Piper and Leo looked up to find Paige standing there, the Book of Shadows in her hand.  
  
"Demon attack," Piper answered, "What have you got there?" she nodded toward the book.  
  
Settling in a chair, Paige spread the book out on the table. "Phoebe called earlier and asked me to look something up for her," she explained.  
  
A sudden grunt behind them diverted their attention back to the couch. Phoebe's eyes were halfway open, and she was struggling to sit up. Her movements displayed a deep fatigue that even the stubborn Haliwell couldn't fight off.  
  
"Phebes, honey, you need to lie down," Piper directed gently and lightly pushed her sister back down on the couch. "Paige, go get some water," she ordered, and Paige sprinted off to the kitchen.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Leo asked Phoebe.  
  
"I've got one hell of a headache," she groaned, "but other than that, I think I'm ok. What in God's name took you so long?"  
  
"I was busy with some other charges," he explained and nearly flinched at the glare Piper gave him.  
  
"My sister almost dies and you're off somewhere else doing God knows what!" she yelled.  
  
"It's called my job," Leo retorted. "You three aren't my only charges you know." With that he stalked off toward the kitchen.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Piper asked, following him.  
  
"I'm getting something to eat, and then I have some other charges to take care of."  
  
"Oh, no you don't," Piper stepped in front of him and scowled. "You're staying here, and we're having a nice long talk."  
  
"I don't really feel like talking, Piper," Leo tried to brush past her, but she grabbed a hold of his wrist.  
  
"Leo, I don't know what's going on, but, whatever it is, you're going to tell me," she paused and added forcefully, "right now."  
  
"Paige was walking by with a glass of water when she saw something that made her stop. "Uh, guys," she tried to get Piper's and Leo's attention, but they ignored her.  
  
"Listen, Piper, I'm sorry about what happened to Phoebe, but I can't just drop everything when one of you calls. I have other responsibilities too."  
  
"How about our marriage?" Piper countered, "Is that responsibility a high priority in your life? It sure doesn't seem to be."  
  
With out warning a flash of magical energy shot through them, and almost knocked them off their feet.  
  
"I tried to warn you," Paige shrugged. "I saw energy building around you just like when my niece switched your powers."  
  
"Great, just great," Piper muttered. Looking down, she saw that her daughter had played a different trick on them this time. Instead of seeing her own hand wrapped around Leo's wrist, she saw only one hand and one arm between the two of them. They were now like Siamese twins that were sharing an arm. "Well," she sighed, "It looks like we'll be spending some time together after all."  
  
TBC. 


	5. Not All Quiet on the Home Front

Chapter Five: Not All Quiet on the Home Front  
  
  
  
Leo looked horror-stricken. Piper groaned in frustration. Paige laughed so hard that the water almost sloshed out of its glass.  
  
"This is not funny, Paige," Piper snapped.  
  
"At least we agree on something," Leo mumbled. Piper shot him a dark glare.  
  
"We wouldn't even be in this situation if you would've just told me what's going on," she reminded him, her words dripping with impatience and annoyance.  
  
"So this is all my fault now?" he shouted, "If you had just left the issue alone everything would've been fine, but no, you even had to drag your sister into this and now look what's happened." He gestured to where Phoebe lay on the couch.  
  
"You're blaming me for what happened to Phoebe?" Piper screeched, "I couldn't have helped that."  
  
Feeling forgotten, Paige slipped out of the kitchen unnoticed. The raging voices continued behind her as she walked to the couch and knelt beside Phoebe with the water.  
  
"Here you go Phebes," she held out the glass, "Do you need anything else?"  
  
Phoebe took a big wet drink before answering. "Um, yeah, could you help me sit up?" she asked, a bit embarrassed that she couldn't accomplish the task on her own.  
  
"Sure sweetie," Paige smiled.  
  
With her little sister's help, Phoebe managed to wrench her sore stiff body into a sitting position. She wobbled a moment, and blinked back fuzzy spots in front of her eyes. Her head was pounding and she still felt a little dizzy. Phoebe messaged her right temple with her hand; her eyes started to drift close. "I must have been hurt badly," she mumbled quietly, more to herself than to her sister.  
  
Paige took in her sister's appearance with a look of concern. She seemed so frail and tiny sitting there. Her brown eyes had been glazed over with exhaustion, and dark bags hung under them. Even in the growing twilight, she could see her sister's face was stanch white as though all of the blood had been scared out of her veins. Under the heavy weight of a red afghan, her posture was slumped and sullen. The hunched body was barely supporting itself, and Phoebe seemed to be sinking lower and lower; a wax figure melting in the sun with her fake glassy stare and fragile, porcelain, bloodless skin. Putting an arm around her waist, Paige tried to keep Phoebe up. With her other hand, she brushed back a few disheveled strands of her hair. The locks were damp with sweat. She was also missing an earring, Paige noticed. Who ever did this had blasted the life right out of her. Demon fighting often left them with an adrenaline rush, but Phoebe just looked dead to the world. "Maybe you should go lie down in your room," Paige suggested.  
  
Phoebe shook her head and her eyes fluttered back open. "I'll be fine," she asserted. And she did look a little better; as though she were bringing herself back from an inner world of dark reverie.  
  
"Who did this?" Paige asked quietly, "was it the demon you saw in your premonition?"  
  
Phoebe nodded, "did you find anything about him in the Book of Shadows?"  
  
"A little," Paige pulled the book closer to them from its perch on the table. "Is that the symbol you saw?" She pointed to a complex, slithery, and vine-like scrawl. It looked like the embodiment of chaos itself. The design's shape was unrecognizable; it had no structure or order, and, most strikingly, it had no balance. Everything it the magical world, good or evil, has balance. The strong magical thread that ran through the sisters felt off tilt just by looking at the odd symbol. Its foreignness spoke to them hauntingly; its words vibrated through their being.  
  
"That's it," Phoebe nodded, "the guy had it branded on his arm or something."  
  
"That's not all I found-"  
  
"Wait," Phoebe interrupted, "where's Piper?"  
  
Paige opened her mouth to answer when she realized that there were no more yelling voices coming from the kitchen. Everything was quiet. She wasn't quite sure what to make of that.  
  
"Piper? Leo?" she called out cautiously to the kitchen. No answer. Paige sighed and hoped they hadn't killed each other.  
  
"Those two still fighting?" Phoebe ventured a guess.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Paige nodded, and called out to the kitchen again. After a few seconds of silence, she went to investigate.  
  
She found Piper and Leo standing there, both stone silent, and giving each other gloomy stares. The one arm they now shared dangled uselessly and almost comically between them. Piper's one free hand rested firmly on her hip. Neither looked ready or willing to budge. Paige sure hoped her niece knew what she was doing. Being an only child for most of her life, Paige couldn't think of anyone, even out of those she loved, that she would want to be literally attached to of a long period of time.  
  
Clearing her throat, Paige prepared to sound as forceful as possible. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but we have a demon situation that needs our full attention." She let those words sink in, and then continued, "So, if you two are finished acting like three year olds, Phoebe and I need you in the den."  
  
Weather it was Paige's tone or the mention of demons, something got through the stony figures. They mumbled their compliance and headed into the den with Paige. Piper looked almost relieved to have diversion in front of her, something to take her mind off her marital troubles. Everyone solves problems in their own way; Piper choose to kick demon ass. The eldest Halliwel found a certain solace in demon hunting that the other two couldn't understand. Paige suspected that even her husband, the peacekeeping whitelighter, didn't fully grasp that part of his wife's psyche.  
  
When Piper and Leo walked onto the den, Phoebe became fully animated for the first time since Leo had brought her home. She burst out laughing at the odd sight of the literally attached couple. They glared at her but she didn't take the hint and kept on laughing.  
  
"What.happened?" she managed to choke out in between chuckles.  
  
"Our niece decided to help Piper and Leo work out their marital discord," Paige answered, merriment and laughter sparkling in her eyes. She tried to keep her composure, but her red lips twitched up into a smile despite her best efforts.  
  
"You said something about a demon?" Piper inquired, cold and business like.  
  
Immediately, Paige's expression turned neutral again, and she looked down at the Book of Shadows. "The demon that attacked Phoebe had this symbol of his arm," she pointed to the open page.  
  
Leo crinkled his brow as he and Piper peered down at the book, "I've never seen that before," he remarked.  
  
"No one has for about five hundred years," Paige informed them, "this symbol is associated with a demon named Shiva. He was last seen around the end of the Middle Ages."  
  
"Okay, yeah, whatever," Piper waved her hand dismissively, "so, how do we vanquish him?"  
  
"It doesn't say," Paige sighed, "evidently, no one has ever seen him and lived, let alone been able to vanquish him."  
  
Phoebe suddenly tensed up. "Do you think he'll come back after me?" she asked, "I did see him after all."  
  
Paige shook her head, "I don't think who you saw was Shiva."  
  
"What do you mean?" Piper asked, "Who else besides Shiva would have that symbol?"  
  
Paige pointed to the passage in the book as she talked, "It says here that Shiva is very powerful, and that he often lends some of his powers to other demons in exchange for favors. If the demon does as Shiva asks then the demon keeps the powers."  
  
"So, then the guy who attacked me was one of Shiva's foot soldiers?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Most likely," Paige nodded.  
  
"Question," Piper interjected, "how does this help us get rid of him? And where has he been for the last few hundred years?"  
  
"I don't know. On both accounts," Paige shrugged, then turned towards Leo, "Do you think you could check with the Elders or would they mind you dropping by in your.um.current state?" she asked barely concealing a snicker.  
  
"No other beings besides whitelighters are supposed to enter the Elder's domain," he told her seriously, "they wouldn't like me dragging Piper up there under any circumstances." He'd said the word "dragging" as though he were referring to a great cumbersome burden. Piper scowled at him.  
  
"Well then, I guess you two need to work things out if you want any chance of breaking the spell," Phoebe advised them.  
  
* * *  
  
The darklighter stepped into the dark musty warehouse cautiously, and a little bit afraid. His new powers weren't completely drained, but he didn't have enough left to complete Shiva's task. He needed more. Inspecting the warehouse's inky black corners, he looked for the powerful demon. He wasn't quite sure where to find Shiva. Shiva always managed to find him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" a soft, raspy, and slithery voice asked from behind him. "Did you do as I asked?"  
  
The darklighter didn't turn around; he knew all he would find was darkness. "No, I need more powers and a little more time," he demanded boldly.  
  
A low rattling hiss sounded from the shadows. The intimidating rumble grew louder and assaulted him from all sides. The demon felt like a human might feel in the rain forest. Completely overwhelmed both with ones own inferiority and the supremacy and cruelty of Mother Nature. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. A smoldering white light flashed behind his eyes, and fried the delicate flesh of his cornea. He clawed as his face and eyes trying to dig out the source of the pain. Thick crimson rivets flowed down his face. He was crying blood, and screaming like a wild animal. The horrendous sound suddenly stopped when the demon exploded. All that was left, a cocoon of ash, clung to thin air in the shape of a body before dropping unceremoniously to the ground.  
  
Shiva regarded the pile of ash stoically; he could not take pleasure in the kill, nor could he become enraged with the demon's incompetence. No, this plan needed patience and careful methodical thought.  
  
He looked up as another darklighter emerged from the shadows. This one was promising.  
  
"Now you know what I'm capable of," Shiva hissed at the new darklighter, "do not fail me."  
  
The darklighter made a slight bow, "I will not master."  
  
"Very well," Shiva reached out a clawed-scaly hand and touched the demon's left arm. The sizzling of burning flesh was heard, but the demon did not flinch. Ribbons of smoke curled away from his reddening skin and twisted around Shiva's hand like snakes. The darklighter's arm became nothing more that a painful throb, but his thirst for power overcame the agony. Biting his lip with anticipation, he waited, on the verge of impatience, for the transformation to be complete.  
  
When Shiva, at last, removed his hand, the odd mark was branded on the demon. The slayer of whitelighters smiled as the power surged through him. He felt every nerve tingle with a bombardment of senses. Senses that he hadn't felt before. Everything around him was suddenly new and very large, almost overwhelming.  
  
Stretching out his left hand, he found it had been twisted into a tight deformed fist by the pain that still gnawed at his nerves. Pulsating blue veins spider-webbed across the hand, and tiny white blisters had bubbled to the surface as though he were literally bursting with powerful energy. Slowly, he forced his fingers open. The muscles straining with this effort felt like they were tearing away from the bone. His hand was on fire, and seemed like it would explode from the inside out. He concentrated on the pain, and Shiva watched. This was a test and he knew it.  
  
The stinging ache was unique and exotic as though it were caused by hungry little fire ants crawling underneath the skin. He imagined the grainy feeling of those tiny bodies moving and biting within his flesh. His nose flared and he grunted with the effort. Finally, the five digits extended to their full length. The pain dulled and disappeared.  
  
The darklighter pooled his new energies and formed a glowing ball that hovered above his palm. He sent the orb zipping across the dark warehouse. It cut through the blackness with a haunting illumination, and exploded on the far wall, creating a large hole.  
  
"This will do very nicely," he smiled again and turned back to Shiva, "you shall get what you want," he promised. "Those witches won't stand in my way."  
  
TBC. (If you want to know what happens next, please send reviews!) 


End file.
